1st XV vs Basildon Match report

Old Brentwoods hosted unbeaten League leaders Basildon at Fort Ashwells, having not lost at Home all year.
Woodies still bitter from a raw preseason defeat at the hands of the Visitors and a disappointing loss from last weekend’s winnable game, the Woodies were hungry to make a statement on this fixture and keep their league challenge alive.

With VPs in attendance to spectate a rare Home double header and perfect rugby playing weather the stage was set for a truly memorable day for the club.

From Basildon’s kick off it was clear the game was going to be brutally physical, with the Visitor’s having the first scoring chance from the opening collisions. Showing their position in the league was earnt they were able to move the ball through the hands wide from a tap penalty only to be bundled into touch inches away from the corner by a colossal covering tackle from Tim Mason.

Unable to secure the subsequent lineout Woodies again found themselves on the defensive. Basildon again manoeuvred the ball well from coast to coast, and whilst their first crossing over the whitewash was held up, they were able to score shortly after from close, Basildon were here to play! [0-7]

Yet to play in the opposition’s half or have an extended period of ball in hand, Woodies were keen to blast off the next kick off but continued to be punished by the referee’s whistle for ruck infringements. Not to be deterred the Old Boys kept their discipline and were finally able to weave phases together and set an attacking drive downfield, Basildon’s defence holding strong close to the line after several barrelling carries from the Forwards. The Hosts continued to apply unrelenting pressure, pinning the Visitors’ back into the corner and setting up a trademark lineout maul, the pack muscling the final 5m for Captain Stu Smyth to safely ground the ball to open his team's scoring account. [5-7]

Basildon revitalised from the score came back hard, forcing Woodies back into their half again and coming close with an intelligent kick over the top, only to score moments after from a well-executed overlap and a scything run from their darting Fullback under the posts. [5-14]

A knock on from the resulting kick off gave the Woodies Backs a platform to show their talents, the complexity of the set move giving Fullback Rhys Town an opportunity to dance his way into open space and deep into the enemy’s half but again Basildon’s scrabble defence was able to leave the scoreboard unchanged.

The remainder of the half fell to stop start play with both teams unable to get a grip on the game due to back and forth penalties with the only notable passage of play coming from a cutting run by Winger Elliot Vickers through the middle. Unable to score from the resulting lineouts and with the clock in the red, Old Brentwoods elected for the posts to close the difference before the halftime citrus. [8-14 HT]

Both teams found themselves kicking for territory immediately from the restart, Basildon benefiting from a central penalty after the ball had settled but unable to convert from long range and retrieve scoreboard pressure. Again, Old Brentwoods forced the Visitor’s to play from deep – Basildon choosing the tap penalty option due to the Host’s slowly gaining set piece advantage on the ground and air. The intensity of the game was beginning to show with neither team dropping the physicality in the contact areas amid bone shaking carries and tackles.

After a second missed Basildon penalty conversion Stu Smyth was shown yellow for alleged hands in the ruck. Despite the loss of their lineout marksman, the Woodies continued to exhibit set play mastery and were awarded an in-range penalty which unfortunately drifted right of the uprights. Unshaken, Old Brentwoods kept their cool and persevered with simplistic rugby locking the opponents into their half, finally paying dividends with an identical penalty this time being drilled between the posts bringing the game within a score. [11-14]

Back to 15 men and feeling the momentum swing, the Woodies began to drive up the field. With heavy carries absorbing tacklers the Backs finally pulled the trigger and went wide giving Elliot Vickers space to stretch his legs and beat 3 men for a spectacular finish in the corner – his first try for the 1st XV. [16-14]

Feeling the game slip through their fingers Basildon came blasting out of the reset, bombarding the Home side’s guarding line again and again but to no avail. Perhaps frustrated by their failed attempts and fearful of the booming boot of ‘Man of the Match’ centre Harri Williams, a poorly timed kick charge down led to a late tackle. OB’s happily took the penalty from where the ball landed. Harri brushed himself off and stepped up for another booming kick, netting the Woodies 80m gain from his right boot.

Now deep in the 22, the hosts could smell blood so deployed their season’s calling card maul dominance, twice forcing Basildon’s pack downfield with the second crossing the whitewash. Smyth again marked his name on the score sheet for an epic team try and cemented that it would take more than a converted try to beat his team. [21-14]

With the game on a knife-edge, tempers started to fray with some messy off the ball play but the hosts remained patient and in control of the tempo of the game particularly gaining the upper hand in the scrums. Feeding off the energy from the home crowd and refreshed personnel in Lennox, Fune, and Knapp the Old Bs were able to march up the pitch, it didn’t matter the put-in, scrum time was fun time at Ashwells and back Basildon went.

With time running out Basildon needed a converted try to draw the game, and this was nearly gifted to them by a missed kick into touch being launched blindly back into the play from Vickers – an action earning his try scoring glory the accompanying shame of ‘Dick of the Day’ post-game. Regardless the Old Bs continued their heroic defensive efforts, forcing Basildon to play wide and away from the posts.

Clock in the red, the Visitors’ grit and determination were at last rewarded with their Fullback scoring his second in the corner setting up a dramatic finish on a truly remarkable game. A full 15 man charge down bounded off the line in the hopes of adding further pressure to the kicker who ultimately fell short of the posts erupting the Home side into celebration. [21-19 FT]

A monumental game of rugby played to the finest of margins against a physical and well drilled team. We have no doubt it will be another fantastic match in the return fixture. After this massive test, the Old Boys now plan for the Away fixture to Canvey Island.